Sekai no Owari
by Zelgadis55
Summary: The world as they knew it has gone to ruins. The shadows, once their greatest allies, now harbour threats so great it's better to risk walking in daylight than in the night, and Mikey and April will do anything to keep what remains of their family safe; even if it means abandoning home and everything they know. AU collaboration with Sampsonknight. Comments and thoughts welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Rating: Overall story rated T

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Warnings: May be some disturbing imagery including blood, gore, maggots and nuggets on the ground for innocent turtles to step upon.

Summary: The world as they knew it has gone to ruins. The shadows, once their greatest allies, now harbour threats so great it's safer to risk walking in daylight, and Mikey and April will do anything to keep what remains of their family safe; even if it means abandoning home and everything they knew. This story is AU and a collaboration between sampsonknight and Zelgadis55.

Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.

* * *

 **Sekai no Owari**

Ch 1

An eerie silence loomed menacingly in the air, attempting to drown them as they sifted through the trashed store.

Shivering slightly, though not from the cold of the late spring afternoon, April lifted a dented can up towards the shaky flashlight she had propped in her mouth. Dust and stains covered the can's surface and she winced at the faded wording, wishing the water which leaked from the roof didn't consume this part of the room. All they needed in these hard times were rusted cans that could contaminate the precious food inside.

The brisk wind blowing outside only hindered her, aggravating her nerves to a whole new level of paranoia as her free hand clenched tighter on Raphael's spare sai.

Lingering by the end of the same aisle, Michelangelo nervously peeked around the corner at the smashed glass door even as he listened to April's movements behind him.

A part of him wanted nothing more than to help April with her desperate search but someone needed to keep watch; things were simply too dangerous to do otherwise these days and none of his brothers had been available to join them on their hunt. In fact, he was still in shock over the fact that Leonardo had allowed the two of them to go out alone. Usually, whenever anyone left the lair nowadays, it had to be with a minimum of three in case they ran into trouble and someone was hurt. That way, at least one of the group could defend them while the other helped whoever had been injured.

Leo and Donnie were busy today and no one had been willing to wake the sleeping, exhausted Raph. Especially given how irritable he'd been of late.

Their meagre stockpile of supplies was running dangerously low and it was no longer safe to search the local tip; not after what had happened to the Professor and his friends a month ago. That left them with the only remaining option of looting rundown convenience stores.

"Mikey?" April whispered softly as she stood from her crouching position. She let her eyes glaze over as she contemplated the same can, debating over what it could be.

At first, Mikey didn't answer but he tilted his head towards her to show he was listening. He kept his eyes fixed front, trying not to telegraph how jumpy he truly was.

"There isn't much here... Not unless you're into dog food," April muttered softly. Things really were getting that bad. Food was so scarce in the city these days that she truly worried they would have to resort to surviving on pet food soon. April knew that once upon a time her turtle family occasionally had to survive on such things before they met but she wasn't certain she had it within her to do the same when it finally came to that.

Mikey pulled a face; dog food was disgusting and he really didn't want to go there. Worse, he could just imagine Raph's reaction to being forced to eat pet food again and he wasn't sure what was worse, that prospect or what was waiting outside should they be noticed. "We'll just have to try somewhere else then."

"What other places are there Mikey?" April raised her voice in frustration. Suddenly realising her mistake, April flashed a panicked look towards the broken door. She held her breath as she waited, exchanging fearful looks with Mikey. Finally, convinced she hadn't been heard by anything outside, April eased up and continued more quietly. "All we've found the past few days is pet food and odds and ends. Every store we've entered has already been ransacked and cleaned out long before we even get to them..." With a sigh, a small whimper escaped her as she tried to keep strong. To do so she resorted to a bad joke she felt sure would raise Mikey's spirits.

"We could always take some turtle pellets," she offered, chuckling lightly. "I'm pretty sure I saw a large container back there."

"And what would you eat, April?" Mikey snickered back, making sure to keep his usually boisterous voice soft. It was an anathema to be so quiet but they really couldn't afford to attract attention, especially with only the two of them there. "Cat food? I hear the flaked tuna is delicious. Plus it's got the added bonus that it'll keep your hair all shiny."

"Mikey, are you saying that you associate me as a cat?" April smiled brightly. Then she paused to think a moment, "Wait, where did you hear that cat tuna is delicious?" she asked, chuckling more. Suddenly she was plagued with the delightful, humorous image of him probably being the one that tasted it out of simple curiosity one day. Then she remembered once more how they did have to eat such things on occasion to survive while growing up and sobered.

Mikey's new-found jovial mood immediately subdued at the memory of coming across Klunk's broken and torn apart body shortly after this all began. As far as he knew, none of his brothers had mentioned his loss to April, as she too had already been dealing with the sudden loss of someone dear to her at the time.

The silence rose uncomfortably again, causing April to notice the unexpected sadness her friend unintentionally projected. Unsure of what exactly she'd said wrong, she dropped the subject and instead cast her gaze back towards the street. Swallowing hard, she figured it was time someone suggested this, "Mikey, we might need to start raiding abandoned homes for food..."

Mikey sighed despondently. Raph and Leo had argued that idea at length several times the last few weeks. Personally, he hated the idea; it felt so wrong on so many levels. Unfortunately, with the pickings growing ever slimmer, he knew soon there would be little choice. Thousands upon thousands of homes sat empty and forgotten, and the people that once lived there no longer needed their stores. It was stupid to just let what food and other supplies might be there go to waste just because _he_ didn't like the idea of breaking in. However, doing so was far more dangerous than what they were already doing due to so many factors. They definitely would need backup if they were to go down that path.

"Okay... but, we gotta go home and talk to Leo first," he sighed reluctantly.

Nodding, April joined in with the sigh, then froze as her body started to shiver.

The shadows outside were growing, which only meant one thing.

They were coming!

At April's sudden silence, Mikey glanced back, seeing her fear telegraphed across face and body. "What's wrong, Ape?" he asked softly, his own fear rising sharply to join hers.

She shuddered and clenched the sai so tightly her knuckles whitened. "We should leave... the shadows are large, Mikey... unnaturally large for this time of day... from... from all around!"

Mikey swallowed back his fearful reply. In the past, he'd have been only too happy to be extremely vocal about what frightened him since voicing his fear made it easier for him to deal with, despite the ridiculing from certain brothers. Now, however, he knew caving into his instincts would be a very bad idea, especially since he was the one responsible for keeping them both safe. He nodded, noticing the angle of the light outside. It was late afternoon, moving on towards evening. They had to get home soon anyway; being out after dark was the last thing they wanted or needed.

Nodding silently, he quickly moved towards the broken door, being sure to stay in the shadows as he crept forward. He felt relieved to note April holding onto a corner of his shell, both for her own comfort and to let him know she was still there and wasn't left behind. It would only take a split second for chaos to explode, and to be accidentally forgotten or separated in such a horrific situation was a terrifying probability.

Having reached the door, Mikey could make out the individual shadows encroaching upon them and fear ripped through him like Raph through Dragons. There were dozens of them and still moving closer. They couldn't stay here any longer. It was far too dangerous.

"Mikey?" April reluctantly whispered into his ear-slit, her breath ghosting lightly against him, "What is it? Is it...?"

"We're surrounded..." Mikey tried not to squeak. He clenched his hands tightly around his weapons.

"Please say it's just ominous shadows that are only being cast from nearby buildings," she whimpered, pulling his shell back ever slowly so as not to trip over her own two feet.

"Just by shadows, cast from nearby buildings," Mikey immediately obliged. Then, unfortunately, he couldn't help himself, "And by..." he gulped.

Fighting to ignore the urge to slap Mikey over the head like she knew Raph would in such circumstances, April instead took another step back, "The back door?" she inquired nervously.

Nodding, Mikey replied, "The back door."

Keeping an eye on the front door all while glancing behind towards their destination, they slowly backed up as Mikey carefully led the way towards the exit he'd scoped out when they originally arrived. It led into a trash filled alleyway with far too many hiding places but trying to go out the front door at this point would be suicide. They could only hope the alley was still clear.

Now almost to the rear of the store, Mikey saw something move in the corner of his eye near the front. Without a word, Mikey chanced turning to find the door to the staff room and stepped inside, quickly pulling April after him. Closing the door and barricading it, the two made their way to the back exit. Mikey reached out a hand to grasp the handle, suddenly fearing to turn it. As he took a deep, calming breath, he felt April fidgeting behind and finally turned the handle. He slowly inched the door outwards, peeking through to make sure nothing would be in their faces and relieved to see they were alone, Mikey opened the door all the way and stepped out.

The faint smell of rot on the breeze met them as the sun overhead slowly dipped towards the horizon. The city at night was far more dangerous to them than it had been for a mutant to wander about in the day when the city was still populated. April could feel a chill in the air that had absolutely nothing to do with the warm temperature outside. What was behind them haunted her and she could hear it banging at the doors inside as if repeatedly walking into and rattling them, but still, even with knowing exactly what was inside, whatever was in hiding out here was far more terrifying. Taking a look to the right, April couldn't see anything alarming yet that could change in an instant, making her think it might be best if they made directly for the rooftops. Although, that would be a challenge since on the way here she'd noticed most fire exits were either destroyed by humans desperate to protect themselves or otherwise occupied and therefore inaccessible.

Stepping forward, April caught sight of unexpected movement from the corner of her eye. To her horror, she saw something reach for Mikey's leg and startled, she shrieked, making Mikey jump right as it grasped for the bottom of his coat.

Mikey followed April's terrified gaze right as he felt unexpected tension pull on his trench coat. In fright, he looked down and unable to help himself, screamed. Without thinking, Mikey quickly snatched a nunchaku from its holster, gave it a quick whirl to build up the momentum and bashed the offending thing violently off him.

A sickening crunch rang out into the late afternoon air! The stench of decay grew far stronger as a small amount of rotting, maggot filled gore splashed up, coating the lower part of his coat and leg. Grossed out, Mikey wailed, "Ew! Ew! Ew! I'm _covered_ in it!"

"Mikey, you're being too loud" April winced; she'd been just as guilty.

"Sorry, Ape," Mikey apologised immediately, still recoiling in disgust. He kicked his attacker away and looked for the closest exit of the alley, gulping in fear. They'd been heard.

Looking the other way, April cringed to see the other end also flooding with dark, slow moving shadows.

"Mikey! We're surrounded and there's no fire escape we can use or get to!" April squeaked, no longer caring about being quiet since things couldn't get any worse than they already were.

"What?" Mikey asked in shock. "But there's one over there! I scoped it out when we got here!" he exclaimed, turning to point. Then froze as he realised there was another one of those… things on there, it's attention focused intently on them as it reached out, clutching impotently at the air.

"I believe it's occupied Mikey and it doesn't look like it'd be good company unless you want to be... Mikey, we need a way out _now_!" April whipped out her borrowed sai; two runners raced straight towards them, one far fresher and faster than the other.

" _Shell!_ " Mikey swore, looking around wildly. He'd promised Leo and Donnie he'd keep April safe and now there was no way out, except... " _Down!_ " he gulped, already running for the nearby manhole cover.

Frozen by the terrifying suggestion, April's eyes widened, "Down...? Meaning down there? Are you _insane_ Mikey?"

Mikey swallowed as he nodded "Unless you've got a better idea." Going down into the dark, dank sewers so far from home really was a bad idea these days. At least near home, they regularly cleared up the area but anywhere else? _Anything_ could be down there and with all the shadows and the lack of power...

Trusting April to have his shell while he pulled up the manhole cover, he quickly lifted it. "Get in, Ape but stay on the ladder until I can make sure nothing's there."

Nodding, April reluctantly took her eyes off the faster runner. Following Mikey's instructions, she didn't dare tuck away her sai as she clenched at the cold steel ladder with sweat-slick hands. Descending down, April stopped halfway, avoiding getting too close to the bottom since anything could be waiting in hunger to snatch her up.

About to follow, a sudden pull on his trenchcoat jerked Mikey back, choking him. Struggling frantically and cursing the need for disguises even in times like these, Mikey ripped the buttons open, shrugged off the coat and tossed it back. He whirled on the spot, gratified to see his coat covering its head and let loose with a hard push kick, knocking it back hard enough to slam it into the nearest, overflowing dumpster.

Looking up, April was terrified to realise she'd lost sight of Mikey. Her heart pounded as she waited, hoping he'd be back and that she wasn't left alone out here. For a moment, she wondered how long it would take for him to turn; everyone was different. Finally, he reappeared sans disguise, looking over his shoulder in fear as he prepared to jump down after her. Suddenly recalling tucking away the can from the store, she looped one arm through the ladder so she wouldn't fall and one-handed, reached into her bag. "Mikey use this, it's dog food anyway," she called softly. Tossing it up, a part of her felt guilty wasting even pet food, but it was either that or...

Without looking down, Mikey reached out and instinctively snatched up the can. Immediately drawing his arm back, he let it fly with unerring accuracy, wincing at the terrible sound as it hit true. Knowing even the second runner would only be slowed ever so briefly, Mikey took note of where April clutched tightly at the ladder and jumped down, pulling the cover back in place as he dropped.

Once he landed, Mikey crouched into a defensive stance and turned, looking all around into the gloom nervously. Mikey felt relieved to discover nothing in the immediate vicinity besides him and April. Unfortunately, that didn't mean they were in the clear, however. While there were far less of those _things_ down here given how few entrances were open to allow them entry, it was dark and shadowy, not to mention that the sewers were basically one ginormous maze of enclosed space, making it far easier for things to go unnoticed until too late. No. He and April were definitely not much safer down here than they had been up top, especially with evening fast approaching.

Mikey groaned in dismay. Leo was so going to kill them both if those things didn't get to them first, but especially him.

Taking that as her cue that Mikey didn't find any indication of danger, April stepped down from the ladder and leant in towards him, "Which way do we go now? You know the sewers far better than I do."

Mikey glanced around. He liked it even less down here than topside. At least up there, they could see what was coming for them. "This way," he murmured nervously.

Knowing it was best they keep silent, April followed without a sound; anything in these passageways would hear them coming with ease. She only hoped she wouldn't give them away by simply walking. It wasn't that her sneakers made much sound, it was more fear that she might kick little stones or splash into unnoticed puddles and so on. While her ninja family regularly gave her some training on being stealthy since she moved in with them, she hadn't grown up down here and the darkness made it hard for her to manage. Then, there were her nerves.

After walking what seemed like hours, April pressed her chest against Mikey's shell and whispered softly, "Mikey, is it me or is the stench thicker than before? I mean, the sewers never smell nice but it's really getting worse the further we go..."

"I really wish I could say it's just you but I've been noticing it for a while too," Mikey reluctantly admitted, continuing to glance around as if paranoid as they walked.

The fetor continued growing heavier with every step, making both fight against the desperate need to retch. Suddenly, odd, disturbing sounds echoed lightly off the walls and ceiling, plaguing them with uncertainty and making them realise staying down here hadn't been such a bright idea after all. Really, there was only one explanation and when it came down to it, did they dare see if they were right? Was there a blockade ahead and if there was, was it really wise to keep going? Doing so could very well put them into a danger far worse than the one they were already in. The night upon them made the streets more unsafe than ever, and the sewers, while safer than above, were a maze too narrow and filled with dead ends, sudden corners and obstacles.

"Mikey, I think we should turn back," April suggested tentatively as she pulled at his shell.

"And go where?" Mikey asked, clenching his fists anxiously around the weapons tucked into his belt. His every instinct screamed to agree with her but Mikey knew they would be safer only if they could get home and so despite April's continuing wordless protests, he pushed on until they reached a junction up ahead. There he paused, suddenly terrified to peek around the corner.

The sounds of unholy scratching clawed into their ear drums, twisting at their hearts and thrusting them into a horror unlike any other. The worst wasn't the sound reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard, no. Instead, it was the ungodly sounds that bellowed before them. It didn't notice them, that much was for certain, for it would have started to hunt them if it did.

With the stench now so potent, April fought desperately to hold in her gag reflex, unwilling to risk drawing attention to them by bringing up her earlier lunch. The mangled carnage and blood before them were more than she could bear. While they had seen such horrific displays many times before, this time it was somehow just too much.

Shaking her head violently, April tugged at Mikey's shell, begging him with her eyes to turn back; it wasn't worth the risk to sneak by them to the other passageway, it was foolishness. They needed to find another way or find a safe place to wait it out in until daybreak when it would be safer to return to the surface. This wasn't the time to make such rash decisions, no matter how much they wanted to be back at the lair, back at home…

Mikey suppressed a whimper at what he heard and what little he could see. He should have listened to April. _He should have!_ Mikey immediately backed up, eyes fixed on the junction when he saw something peripherally on the other side of the waterway. Horrified, he turned his head slowly, seeing one of the monstrous nightmares reaching for them, its rotting flesh hanging from its bony arm in sinuous chunks.

It was all Mikey could do to hold in his cry of fright as he picked up the pace. That's when he saw another on the other side, also reaching towards them. Without thinking, Mikey grabbed April and slung her over his shoulder, running back the way they'd come as fast and silently as his ninja training would allow.

Once again feeling like a rag doll, April held in her protests, lamenting the fact that when the going gets tough she becomes one turtle or another's luggage. Looking out over Mikey's shell as she bounced with each step, she watched the shadows slowly disappear into the distance. Luckily for them, there were few runners down here and the chase was not on. Even so, she realised Mikey didn't stop; it was like he was on a mission but... did he even have a destination in mind?

"Mikey, they're not following us. You can put me down now," April said calmly despite the throbbing beat of her heart which had leapt into her throat. It was a miracle on its own that her voice wasn't shaky.

"Not yet," Mikey muttered stubbornly as he raced further away from home. They weren't safe yet; not that they were likely to ever be safe again.

He continued running for several more minutes before finally slowing down. However, he still didn't put April down, looking around as though paranoid. Finally, sure there was nothing and no-one else nearby, he stopped to examine the nearby wall.

"Well... this is a nice view," April stated wryly as she stared at the opposite wall, "So, are we wall shopping now?" Somehow, she hoped managing the joke would ease Mikey as his silence alone was nerve-wracking; he hadn't even voiced a pun or bad joke since they left the surface. Not that their situation was anything like a joke but when he became this way, she always feared the worst.

Mikey twitched. He hadn't seen or heard anything for a while now but that didn't mean nothing was there. "Shh," he begged with a whimper. He reached out, feeling the wall as he searched.

Falling silent, April blinked. Did they seriously just switch roles? Oh, but if Raph heard about this he would have such a field day, relishing the chance to make fun of Mikey for his rare silence.

Letting out a breath, April forcibly relaxed her tense body, keeping an eye out towards the darkness just in case. She had the feeling there was nothing around but still, she could tell Mikey was being cautious.

Finally, feeling the small protrusion in the wall he was searching for, Mikey pressed it and the wall moved, exposing a doorway. Pushing it open, Mikey prayed it was well oiled enough that it wouldn't give them away and stepped inside. Only when the door was sealed behind them again, did he breathe deeply in relief and put April down, unable to meet her gaze.

Tilting her head at him for a moment, April let out a relieved sigh before daring to speak, "What is this place?"

"A bolt hole," Mikey answered quietly, looking everywhere but at April. "We set a few up around the sewers years ago when the Foot was the biggest thing we had to worry about. You know, just in case we were ever cut off from home and needed somewhere safe to hide," he shrugged.

"It's not really comfortable but at least we'll be safe here until morning when we can risk going topside again," Mikey explained, moving further into the small room. At the back sat a small box, containing a few blankets and some emergency rations. He stared down at it, swallowing.

"How sound proof is this room?" April asked. She sat down carefully on the cold floor near where he stood.

Mikey shrugged again, not really sure on the specifics; he was the wrong turtle to ask that question of. The walls were thick though, so... "Dunno, Ape, but as long as we don't raise our voices too much and you don't snore, we shouldn't be heard."

April nodded; that made her feel more at ease. Fumbling, she pulled out her shell-cell, ignoring the rude comment over her snoring. She'd never snored a day of her life and even if she had, it wouldn't have been as bad as Raph's. "We should give them a call. Leo's probably wondering where we are and I'd prefer not to make them worry more than they already must be."

Mikey's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered his brothers. He watched her intently as she dialled.

To both of their dismay, the cell blinked out in large letters, 'No Service'. Moistening her dry mouth which suddenly felt like a desert, April glanced up at the worried turtle, "I think we might have wandered out of range..."

"Shell..." Mikey flopped to the ground in dismay and buried his head in his knees. He'd messed up so badly today but what else could they do? "I'm really sorry, April..."

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, April shook her head, "Mikey, this isn't your fault. I was the one that suggested going to that store and I was the one that screamed out catching that mob's attention in the first place."

Mikey shook his head miserably. "Not for that, for everything else. For not paying attention to how far from home we were when we know the Shell-Cells have a really limited range now. For not paying better attention and noticing the shadows in time... For not listening to you back there... Shell, April! I was supposed to be the lookout and protect you and I couldn't even do that right. I didn't even notice them..."

Letting out a chuckle, April didn't say a word. Instead, she waited for him to respond.

Mikey looked up, canting his head at her in confusion.

April beamed and poked playfully at his cheek, "Mikey, you did fine. Shit happens and you know that we only have so much control. Besides, I think you're worse off acting like this. Feeling guilty over things that can't be controlled is Leo's thing, not yours. Yours is to smile and see that the glass is not half empty." She let out a sigh and placed the cell away, "You know, your brothers have more confidence in you than you realise. Sure, they'll be worried sick about us, but neither of us are out here alone. We have each other so they know we'll be okay. So please, just smile again... the world is dark enough lately."

"Okay," Mikey agreed, smiling back at her as requested. He was glad to know that April at least didn't blame him. Things would be very different once they finally reached home, however, and he'd be lucky if Leo ever allowed him out again.

"See, that's better," April said softly. She leant forward and rested her tired head on his broad shoulder.T

Relishing the comfort of her touch, Mikey wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. For several minutes they sat like that in a comfortable silence before a loud rumble disturbed the quiet, making Mikey sit up straight in embarrassment.

"We haven't eaten since lunch time," April offered understandingly, "and even then, what we had wasn't much." She knew the sound all too well, regretting how her friend's stomach had to interrupt the moment; she'd been quite warm and now felt the cold clawing back into her.

Glancing back to the nearby box again, Mikey wondered how long it had been since any of them checked in on this hiding place.

"What's wrong, Mikey?" April asked. She peered over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

Sighing, Mikey reached for the box. He pulled it closer and opened it. "There should be some food and water in here but, I dunno how old it is," he admitted worriedly. He pulled the thin blankets from the top and passed one over. Then he pawed through the box, pulling out several old and dented cans.

April cringed at the sight, "Do I want to know what's in them or should I close my eyes for this one?"

Mikey looked cheekily at April, the twinkle back in his eye. "Well, you have a choice. Cold spaghetti, cold diced tomatoes, or dog food."

"Well then... how about your turtle pellets," she smirked, taking out a container and placing it in front of him.

"Cold beefy stew it is, then!"

"Good choice," April smiled, putting away the turtle food.

* * *

To be continued

A/N - This story has been written as an RP between Sampsonknight and myself with her in charge of certain characters and myself in charge of others, however, it's been written as a real story, much as you see above. No guarantees but we'll try to post a chapter every 2- 3 weeks. Next week though, I will be posting 'AOtGO' ch 27.


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: Overall story rated T

Disclaimer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon.

Warnings: Overall story contains disturbing imagery such as blood, gore and the like, and disturbing situations.

Summary: The world as they knew it has gone to ruins. The shadows, once their greatest allies, now harbour threats so great it's safer to risk walking in daylight, and Mikey and April will do anything to keep what remains of their family safe; even if it means abandoning home and everything they knew. This story is AU and a collaboration between sampsonknight and **Zelgadis55**.

Comments, thoughts and concrit are always welcome.

* * *

 **Sekai no Owari**

Ch 2

The lair lay still and quiet, exuding a deceptively peaceful state before being disturbed by a grouchy, overtired mutant emerging from his sleeping den. He dragged his feet sluggishly towards the dark kitchen, stomach gurgling hungrily as he wondered why it was still in darkness and neither was there any aroma of freshly cooked food wafting about by the time he awoke. Unfortunately, he only smelt the stale air of old burnt toast and dirty dishes, making him wrinkle his beak in distaste.

He glanced across the empty kitchen and shrugged, Mikey was obviously goofing off somewhere in the lair yet again and as usual, it would be up to him to drag his wayward brother back since their Fearless Leader was so useless lately. Taking a glass from a cupboard that'd seen far better days in regards to stocked food, he sighed miserably, (this brave new world of theirs really sucked), grabbed an already open bottle of water and poured himself a drink before gulping it down greedily.

With his thirst quenched and the glass away, he slowly turned his attention inwards to the heart of the lair. He headed towards the living room and upon finding no sign of life resorted to turning to the lab instead. As he made his way into the only lit room in the lair that he could see, his eyes fell on the two brothers quietly occupying the space.

"Where's the twerp and April?" he asked with a wide, gaping yawn.

Leonardo looked up from where he sat, anxiously watching the security monitor set up near Donatello. "Mikey's out looking for food with April," he replied, one finger twitching ever so slightly as he answered, belying the calm in his tone.

Donnie glanced back from what he was working on with a small but irritable frown yet said nothing.

Silent at first and figuring this to be some stupid, thoughtless prank Mikey had somehow convinced Fearless to join in on, Raph let out a small chuckle.

Leo frowned unhappily. "They've been gone a long time; they should be back any minute now."

Startled Leonardo was actually serious about something like _this_ , a sense of dread washed over Raphael as his anger took root, "Seriously Leo? You actually sent those two out there on their own? What the fuck is wrong with you?" With a rising growl, Raph stomped towards his older brother, letting the thud of his steps emphasise his sheer fury. "How could you make such a boneheaded decision like that?" he yelled. "What happened to no one goes out unless it's a fucking team of three, huh? Why the _hell_ didn't you wake me up to go with them?"

"Because you just spent most of the night watching the monitors for incursions into our territory!" Leo replied tartly through clenched teeth; he didn't need Raphael questioning him over this, not when he already knew he'd made the wrong choice, not when it was already far too late to stop them from going. "And as if that wasn't enough, you spent most of the morning taking out anything that wandered too close to our home! Without, I might add, back up! _As_ you just said, Raphael, we only go out in teams of three and yet you seem to think the same rule doesn't apply to you and keep going out on your own anyway!" He folded his arms, staring straight into the infuriated gaze of his hotheaded brother before continuing, "And since someone had to remain here to help keep Donnie grounded..."

"Thanks, Leo," Donnie replied tightly, his shoulders stiff with tension and shell turned to them.

"... that left little choice but to allow them to go alone," Leo finished as if Donnie hadn't spoken.

Brooding over his brother's words, Raph narrowed his eyes before clenching his fists at his sides, "That's different Leo! It's one thing going out there searching for food and another thing taking care of business near home! Out there, any shit can fly but here we have things under control!" Shaking his head violently at the stupidity of it all, he continued, "What if they ran into a pack of runners, huh? Or one of them gets hurt? There'd only be one to defend the other and no one to treat them! That's _why_ we agreed on three minimum when scavenging! Hell, it was _your_ fucking decision to do that in the first damn place!"

Breathing deeply, Raph placed one hand on his head, biting his lip to prevent himself from doing anything rash. "Shell, Leo! You gave me this damn lecture just last week and now you turn around and do something so fuckin' stupid as this! What the hell is your problem? I'd get Mikey treatin' this as some damn game, but not you!"

"What _choice_ did I have but to agree? There are only _five_ of us and our food stores are desperately low! We couldn't wait any longer for you to wake up or it would have been too late to go out at all! If you hadn't stayed up all night unnecessarily and then gone outside to clean up without anyone's knowledge... _God, Raph!_ You were trapped out there for _hours!_ It's a good thing we're immune now thanks to Don but that doesn't mean they won't rip you to shreds if they get a hold of you!"

"The simulations show we're immune but we won't know for sure until..." Donnie interjected tonelessly before trailing off at the looks from his brothers. He immediately faced forward again and returned to silently typing on his computer while they immediately turned back on each other.

Clenching his fist again, the need to punch something, _anything_ , was overwhelming. Raph turned and slammed his right hand directly into the nearby concrete support column. Then, ignoring the pain from his grazed knuckles and growling all the more, "Leo… shell... that was _different._ I didn't realise there were stragglers as well. Besides, I handled them and wasn't that far from home. But this… _Dammit, Leo!_ You should have woken me up, and you know it! God, you have some balls comparing this morning's cleaning to them going out there with no security, no backup to call upon and no _damn_ monitors to make sure nothing is coming up behind them! Like you said, they can rip us apart and you put April, who has shit all experience when it comes to fighting, with Mikey, who can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality half the time when it comes to this shit! Have they called? Have you even tried calling them, _Fearless_?"

Leo's throat worked uncomfortably.

"They're out of range," Donnie spoke up grimly, still refusing to turn and look at anyone; not after last time. "Not to mention they should have been home nearly an hour ago."

Flabbergasted, Raph was done. He was just done. What more could he say? His point had been proven and now his kid brother and best and only friend left were out there alone, all because their leader was a moron and made the worst call ever, out of an ever-increasing series of bad calls, of his life. What if they were hurt? Or… what if they'd been ripped apart and eaten like that kid just last week or... worse... He swallowed painfully. What if they'd been turned?

Throwing his hands furiously into the air, Raph strode towards the exit. The time for talking was over. If his brothers wouldn't do something about this, he would. He would go find those two and drag them back home if it was the last thing he ever managed to do.

Leo stared after Raph for a moment, repeatedly clenching his hands at his side as he did, then turned to Donnie and commanded, "Lockdown the lair; we can't let him out now."

Donnie turned fully away from his computer at last and stared up at Leo aghast. "What about Mikey and April? What if they come home and find themselves locked out?"

"Just do it, Don! Their Shell-cell's aren't even in range and sundown is fifteen minutes away..."

Glancing at the time on his monitor, Donnie softly interrupted, "It's eighteen minutes and twenty-seven seconds away."

"Close enough. Based on the fact their Shell-cells are out of range, they have no chance of making it home before dark and if they do somehow make it home, we can always open it for them, but if Raph makes it out now, you know we'll never get him back. We'll lose him too!"

Feeling cold, Donnie swallowed, distressed; Leo was right. If Raphael made it out there now, he'd search all night until he either found them, or those things or the rabid humans left in the city above took him down instead. He reluctantly reached out and activated the lair's lockdown mode, just in time as Raph made it to the door, weapons jammed in his belt. Raph's bellow of rage as he realised what happened was deafening even from in here.

"Leo... what if..." Donnie swallowed again, he couldn't take any more loss; none of them could, "What if we've already lost Mikey and April?"

Clenching his eyes tightly as he heard Raph's thundering footsteps heading back their way, Leo replied. "Despite what Raph just said, you know Mikey can hold his own and April isn't helpless either. We just have to hope like shell they can find a safe place to hole up for the night if they can't make it back home safely. We have to believe they'll be alright."

Donnie nodded but never had a chance to reply.

" _Leonardo!_ " Raphael's voice raged. The emerald turtle surged back into the room in a fury, storming towards his big brother. Without warning Raph lashed forward, snatching Leonardo's shoulder strap firmly in his hand and pressing his beak flush with his brother's to intimidate him. A huff of hot air escaped his nostrils as he snarled in a deep rumbling voice, " _Why the fuck_ _is the door locked already?_ How can they get home, when you've done yet _another stupid and irresponsible thing_ like this?" An animalistic growl bellowed out as his grip tightened on that old leather strap.

"It's sundown, Raphael and they aren't in range! You know we need to lock down at night!" Leo retorted, refusing to back down.

"We'll keep an eye on the monitors through the night for them," Donnie piped up diplomatically. "If they come back, we'll be able to open up for them. If not... well, we simply can't risk going out at this time of day. It's far too dangerous."

Raph snapped a nasty glare at Donatello, snarling and baring his teeth. How the hell could Donnie actually take Leo's side over something so completely fucked up? That was _family_ they so coldly dismissed, writing off as if they were already dead! Once he knew his message over how disturbed he was that Donnie was backing up Leo was clear, he turned his attention back to his older sibling, at no time bothering to let go of him or loosen his grip, "All the more reason to go out and find them now! They could be dying right now and if we wait, it'll be too damned late!" Raph's hand started to twitch violently at the thought of losing anyone else, especially two that he couldn't think of living without. Refusing to allow that horrible thought to sink in too much and poison his soul, he violently pushed the feeling away, allowing his own disgust and anger to consume him instead. "We need to go fuckin' find them. _Now,_ Fearless! Or _**their**_ blood is on _**your**_ hands!"

Leo glared coldly at Raph. It killed him not being able to capitulate but if he allowed any of them to go out now, more lives would definitely be lost. He, no _they_ , had to have faith in Mikey and April's survival capabilities; neither were helpless and they were at least together. "We don't even know where they are Raph. There is no point in going off half-cocked like a hotheaded idiot when all it will do is get you killed without ever finding out what happened to them. How will that help them? You know those things come out in force at night and you don't even see them coming before you're surrounded!"

Growling under his breath, Raph clenched his fist, hearing his brother's words. Yet none sank in.

"They went out of range twice," Donnie offered, outwardly calm, yet his voice held a hint of the true tension he felt. "The second time they went out of range, it appeared to be at a run and they were zigzagging all over the place." He swallowed.

Leo turned to look at Donnie, incredulous.

Raph froze in horror before releasing Leo and turning his undivided attention towards his other brother. "Why the shell did you both just stand around here doin' nothin' if that was the case?" he yelped in disbelief. "That _alone_ should've set off the damned alarm bells, tellin' you they were in fuckin' danger, and yet all you did was sit here, sittin' on your damn hands like it's nothin' to worry about! _What the shell,_ _Donnie?_ I get Leo being a dumb ass, but _you_? Are you so damn afraid of a bunch of pathetic brain-dead zombies that you're willin' to ignore the clear signs of one of us in distress?" Raph screamed out in frustration, all the while fighting the urge to kick both their shells.

How could either of them be so calm over something like this?

How could they not give a flying fuck about two of their family in danger?

Not allowing either brother to speak, Raph continued glaring from one to the other in disgust, "You go on, _Leonardo_ , about how irresponsible it was of me goin' out there alone and how careless I always am, yet here you both are showin' who the truly irresponsible ones are in dealin' with this chaos properly! What a stand-up job!" he spat in disgust. "Sure, I know can be a hothead and a dumb fucker at times, but I would never, and I mean _never_ , put any of you in danger as you did here today! I would _never_ ignore any signs for help regardless of the danger involved and the form it came in as you did Donatello. You're both pathetic and sometimes I wonder if we are even related or either of you actually gives a damn about anyone else other than yourselves! _You damn, selfish bastards!_ "

"For your information," Donnie stated coldly, staring at Raph breathing heavily as he rolled away from his monitor to allow the others to see what was on the screen, "I didn't see earlier due to the fact I've been busy running simulations of my latest 'attempt' at a cure," he explained, self-disgust at his failures obvious in his voice. "I only began studying the recording of their progress in hopes of extrapolating where they might have gone when Leo expressed concern about how late they were in coming back; only minutes, as it happens before you finally decided to crawl out of your warm bed and join us. They'd only just gone out of range for the second time about ten minutes ago."

Raphael didn't buy it. It didn't matter that Donatello had been futilely working himself to exhaustion day after day to find a cure for what plagued this sorry excuse for a world. Neither did it matter if he was the only one left with even a chance of finding one. What good would do anyone if they all died first?

What would be the fucking point of it all? Of fighting, just to survive in a shit hole like this?

Raph, his anger now at a level beyond control, stomped up to Donnie and thrust his hand at his throat, slamming his brother into the solid desk as it shook from the violent action.

His eyes looking for blood, Raph's blinding anger was all that remained, "So fuckin' what? So what you're sayin' is you're more important than them, Donatello? You're tellin' me you knew Leo sent them out and you didn't bother to take your eyes off your precious scenarios for just one fuckin' second to make sure they were okay? _Fuck!_ You're so obsessed with curin' the world that you're putting the ones remainin' in danger! Shell, Don, this is a new low, even for you. I always knew you were a cold bastard and ignored your family half the time but now I wonder if you even consider family to be important any more, unlike your precious work."

As Donnie choked from the hold and struggled to breathe, Leo hurriedly stepped forward, "That's enough, Raphael!" When Raph didn't let go, Leo did. He let go of his control, attacking his brother with a knife hand hard enough to knock Raph's grip loose. Donnie immediately started gasping for air, wincing at the pain in his throat.

Raphael hissed and stepped back, holding his arm and glaring at his brother for attacking him.

Ignoring him as best he could, Leo turned slightly towards Donnie, without taking his eyes off of Raph in the process, "Are you alright, Don?"

Unable to speak straightaway, Donnie nodded, wincing as he reached up to touch the darkening bruise on his throat. "Ye.. yeah," he eventually managed to grind out. He pushed himself up, away from the desk and stumbled towards his lab door, intending to go for a drink to soothe his poor throat and maybe something for the pain, if they could spare it.

As Donnie stumbled from the room, Leo turned his full attention to the harshly breathing Raphael, trying to rein in his own fury over what just happened.

"I know you're angry and worried, Raphael, but that's no reason to take it out on us, particularly on Don who has been working so hard for months," Leo admonished sternly. "Just because neither of us wears our emotions on our sleeves like you and Mikey do, that doesn't mean we are either heartless or incapable of feeling or worry." He stopped speaking for a moment and sighed, lowering his head and rubbing his face. Then he looked up at his belligerent brother directly in the eyes again and added firmly, "We _will_ look out for them through the night, but we all know that their best chance of survival is to find someplace to hole up until morning and we have to have faith that they have done just that. Come morning, we _will_ head out to look for them. It would be insane to go out now and you know it!"

"Stop patronisin' me and insultin' me with your boy scout lectures. You're really pilin' on the excuses, aren't you?" Raph snarled between his teeth.

"I'm not patronising you, Raphael, I'm stating the simple facts but you are too blind with rage and fear to see the bigger picture."

"Bigger picture? Oh, that's rich! Here is the big picture, _big brother!_ How about us staying in this shit hole on the slim hope that you or Donnie will save the fuckin' world from its already fucked up apocalypse? Sorry, news flash bro, but we couldn't stop the gangs dealin' out that drug that killed people and brought on these goddamn zombies. We couldn't save our friends and family, and we're at the brink of starvation! Yet we cage ourselves here, over the misguided hope that Donnie-boy _might_ be able to find 'a cure'," Raph barked, waving his hands out contentiously.

Narrowing his golden eyes which sparked in anger, he continued as his tongue lashed out, "Bullshit! When will either of you wake up and smell the fuckin' corpses? You know there's another option, Leo, but no! You won't fuckin' take it! Who else has to die before you realise this is insane? That this is just some death trap we are allowing ourselves to be snared in at _your_ say so! Well, Leo? What do you say to that? Or are you so willing to stand there and keep bein' blind over your damn pride and keep makin' excuses to make you feel better about yourself so you can sleep at night?"

Shaking with barely concealed rage over Raphael's verbal assault, Leo hissed back, "How dare you? This is not about pride! It's not about excuses! It's about doing the right thing! If there's even a chance of being able to fix this, then we have to..."

"Be the damn heroes?" Raph asked dryly. "That's so fuckin' like you! Question Leo, to what cost? Who else are you willing to sacrifice for that, huh? Mikey and April are probably pushin' daisies right now and all because we're stickin' our necks out for a chance that is just an illusion, just a fuckin' pipe dream that you can't let go of… You…"

"If Don says he can cure this... this disease, then I believe him. What I can't believe is that you would give up so easily on Don, Mikey or any of us. If I didn't know better, I would think you were too much of a coward to keep fighting for everyone; _to keep fighting for us_!"

" _Coward?_ " Raph clenched his fist, outraged as he took a step forward. "I'm no fuckin' coward, just bein' rational! All I've done is seen the truth, that this is some fool's quest as Mikey would put it, and I have had enough of it! If you will not listen to me, nor see what is in front of your own damn beak, then I should take your advice and fight to keep this family alive, what little is left of it!" Raph raged, whirling about and grabbing the computer that Donnie used for his simulations and smashed it against the desk. Sparks and smoke flew into the air and pieces scattered about.

Gaping in disbelief and eyes bulging wide, Leo took a half step forward, " _Raphael!_ You..."

"I'm doin' what you can't Leo~nardo! Taking the initiative to end this stupidity before there is no one left to give a damn," Raph snarled, narrowing his eyes. He swept his arm back with all his force, tossing the broken computer off the desk into a liquid filled pile of glass tubes and beakers on the neighbouring table. He knew the computer could be replaced, but the work itself couldn't, which would make them realise it was finally time to move on, time to find a way to continue living, time to stop putting their lives on the line for people who would never thank them and that couldn't be saved.

To Leo's horror, as the glass shattered and the liquids mixed on the tabletop, sparks showered from the mess of plastic, metal and wiring that once was a computer, landing in the wet mess that once contained the only hope of a world gone horribly wrong.

There was a sudden bright flash and Raph jerked as a small explosion resounded directly next to him. Blinking in confusion, Raph muttered "What the she..." as the fumes began to rise. Already succumbing to unconsciousness, Raph collapsed before Leo's very eyes, bringing the table crashing down with him.

With the vapours quickly filling the room, Leo began to choke on the overpowering acrid stench. He desperately called out his brother's name and rushed forward, trying not to breathe in as he grabbed Raph by the shell. Futilely, he tried to pick up his insensate brother but the fumes overwhelming him sapped him of his strength and it was all he could do simply to drag him away from the sodden and sharp mess.

Leo managed to get them halfway to the door before the gas finally overcame him and he too collapsed to the ground. Weakly, he tried to push himself up again but to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an olive green smudge in the doorway and croaked out, " _Do..._ "

-:-

Hurt more emotionally than physically over the whole fiasco, Donnie drained his glass of water, wishing in vain it was cooler and therefore more soothing on his sore throat. Unfortunately, due to lack of sufficient power supply and having to rely on his generators, only the bare essentials in the lair were powered nowadays; computers, lighting, the security system, communications and the like. They simply didn't have the power or resources to spare for luxuries like refrigeration or gaming anymore.

Sighing softly, he closed his eyes. He knew Raph didn't truly mean the awful things he said; he'd just been reacting to an impossible situation in which they all felt helpless and desperate, but still, he wished that his brother would learn not to take things out on the rest of them like he so often did.

Wincing, Donnie heard the voices from his lab rise in both volume and anger. Suddenly, the sound of something smashing rang out and horrified, he put down his glass and began rushing to the lab, his mind conjuring all sorts of terrible scenarios, each worse than the last.

Then, halfway there, came the worst sound of all, the sound of a small explosion. Donnie heard Raph's name called out in near panic and began running the rest of the way.

As he reached the entryway, he paused in the doorway, staring about to take in what happened. Suddenly, weak movement caught his eye and he heard, " _Do..._ "

"Leo?" Donnie was already on the move. As he rushed in, he slapped his hand on the button for emergency extraction fans. Unfortunately, due to their low power supply, while the fan did start up, it was slow. Unable to take the time to do anything about it, his brothers needed him right now, he rushed forward, grabbing first one and dragging him out and then going back for the other.

Coughing on the thick foul air, Donnie felt himself growing ever weaker and as he reached the doorway, he too collapsed.

Half on top of his already long unconscious brother.

-:-

* * *

To be continued (sooner than the gap between ch 1 and 2...)


End file.
